Wagon-bed.



FELTON R. PENN, OF WEST JEFFERSON, OHIO.

WAGON-BED.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13. 1907- Serial No. 373,291.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FELToN R. PENN, citizen of the United States, residing at West Jefferson, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wagon beds and more particularly to wagon beds adapted to transport gravel, sand or the like, and the object of theinvention being the provision of improved means for bracing the side boards of the bed against lateral displacement by the pressure of the load carried by the bed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation partially broken away of a wagon body constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of said wagon body, Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the preferred form of the invention, and, Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of'the drawing.

Referring to the drawing the numerals 5 designate the side boards of a wagon bed. The bottom of the bed is composed of a plurality of slats 6, these slats resting upon the bolsters, one of which is indicated at 7, of the running gear of the wagon. This bolster carries standards 8 which prevent lateral movement of the lower portion of the side boards. End gates 9 are vertically movable between cleats 10 which are secured to the side boards 5. U-shaped brackets 11 are secured to the end gates by fastening devices 12 and pivoted to the upper ends of these brackets as at 13, are levers 14. These levers 14 are bent as at 15 to form resilient members, these resilient members being adapted tosnap over short preferably round bars 16 the-ends of which are flattened as at 17, these bars 16 being carried by the side boards 5.

The operation of the device is as follows: The standards 8 prevent lateral movement of the lower portions of the side boards 5. It has been found in ractice, however, that when these beds are lled with gravel or the like, the pressure of the load tends to spread them apart until the load spills out around the edges of the end gates and in some inof the side boards by the weight of the load.

When it is desired to remove the end gates, a few sharp blows upon the underside of the spring members 15 will release the levers 14 from their engagement with said bars and the tail gate may then be removed in the usual manner. The U-shaped brackets 11 brace the end gates and tend to prevent them from splitting.

In Fig. 4, a modified form of the device has been illustrated. In this case a straight bar 20 has been substituted for the U-shaped bracket 11.. In other respects the construction is the same and the same reference numerals have been applied. The outer ends of the bars 14 are bent into the form of a loop 21 to form a striking surface when it is desired to release the levers 14. The levers 14 are provided with a plurality of openings 22 so that the point at which they are pivoted to the bracket 11, may be adjusted to accommodate wagon beds of varying widths.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is:

1-. The combination with a wagon body comprising a pair of side boards, of end gates, pivotally mounted levers carried by said end gates and having resilient outer ends, and members carried by the side boards over which said resilient ends of said levers are adapted to snap to thereby prevent spread. ing of the side boards.

2. A wagon body comprising a pair of removable side boards, cleats carried by the side boards, a tail gate slidably disposed be tween said cleats, pivotally mounted levers carried by the end gate and having resilient outer ends, and members carried by the side boards over which the resilient ends of the levers are adapted to snap to thereby prevent spreading of the side boards.

' 3. The combination with a wagon body comprising a pair of side boards, of a tail gate, a U-shaped bracket secured to said tail gate, levers pivoted to the ends of the U- shaped bracket, said levers having resilient outer ends, and members carried by the side boards over which the resilient ends of the levers are adapted to snap.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wagon body comprising a pair of side boards, of a tail gate, cleats carried by the side boards between which the tail gate is adapted to vertically slide, a U-shaped bracket secured to the tail gate, levers adjustably pivoted to the outer ends of the U-shaped bracket, said levers having resilient outer ends, and. short bars carried by the side boards over which the resilient ends of the levers are adapted to snap to thereby prevent spreading of the side boards. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FELTON R. PENN. Witnesses:

JAMEs J. CLARK, WILLIAM DWYER. 

